Tire pressure sensors are standard equipment on many vehicles manufactured today. The tire pressure sensors can alert drivers when the tire air pressure becomes dangerously low. A typical tire pressure sensor system includes a pressure transducer that converts pressure into analog output. This type of system can measure absolute and/or gauge pressure and deliver a pressure reading to a central unit via radio frequency (RF) communication.
Typically, this system includes one tire pressure sensor per tire, i.e., four or five sensors. In order to have a relatively long operating life, this system needs one or more relatively large capacity batteries, e.g., one per sensor. Typically, the battery is permanently attached to the sensor circuit board and installed in the sensor housing to protect it from the relatively harsh environment within the tire. Unfortunately, due to the limited life of the batteries, the sensors connected thereto have relatively short lives and must be replaced over the life of the vehicles in which the sensors are installed. Changing the sensors can be very labor intensive because often the tire must be removed from the wheel in order to access the sensors.
The present invention has recognized these prior art drawbacks, and has provided the below-disclosed solutions to one or more of the prior art deficiencies.